Effects on free radicals and inhibition of alpha-amylase of Cardamine battagliae (Cruciferae), an apoendemic Calabrian (southern Italy) plant.

The present study showed for the first time the biological properties of different fractions from Cardamine battagliae Cesca & Peruzzi, an apoendemic Calabrian (southern Italy) plant that belongs to the Cruciferae family. The antioxidant activities of the different fractions of C. battagliae were carried out using two different in vitro assays (beta-carotene bleaching test and lipid peroxidation of liposomes assay) while radical scavenging activity was carried out using DPPH test. AcOEt fraction showed the highest activity on DPPH inhibition (IC50 of 0.162 mg mL(-1)) while dichloromethane fraction showed the highest activity on beta-carotene bleaching (IC(50) of 0.004 mg mL(-1)). The assay for alpha-amylase inhibition showed that n-hexane fraction showed the highest activity with an IC50 of 0.055 mg mL(-1).